Don't they know there's no such thing as a free lunch?
By Kirstin Ellison
Posted on Tue Jun 20, 2006 at 01:14:06 PM EST
Sunshine Laws are meant to insure that government work is conducted openly and fairly. They differ in particulars from state to state, but they share a common goal: to make sure that private interests cannot influence government decision-makers away from the public eye.
Florida has a Sunshine Law. So you tell me if this sounds legit:
The setting: a private room at the Governor's Club in Tallahassee.
Engineers, lawyers and contractors dined with two members of the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority.
The occasion?
According to a guest list: the authority's plans to build the first privately owned toll road in Florida.
On Friday, the authority will invite companies to bid on the project, which will connect Interstate 275 with Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, serving New Tampa commuters. Whoever wins the contract will stand to make millions in tolls, and will also be positioned as the leader in a new field within the state.
There's more after the jump.
Both the companies involved in the bidding and the Authority members say that the meal was more social than business, with one board member saying, no joke:
"It was just a bunch of people sitting around, eating food, telling jokes, having fun," said authority board member Robert J. Clark Jr.
He added:
"It was a chance for a free lunch, so I took it."
Earth to Mr. Clark: there is no such thing as a free lunch, especially not when it's coming from people who will potentially have business before you.
Florida's Sunshine Law prohibits members of boards such as the Expressway Authority from discussing board business in private, so reportedly the two members present sat at different tables. But that doesn't mean that board business wasn't discussed, or that the two members communicated through an intermediary. State law allows officials to accept gifts and meals, but not if they know that the gift is intending to influence their decision-making. We may not be able to know the exact nature of this meal out between public officials and contractors, but appearances are everything, and this can't look good to the public.
Tags: Florida, In the States, ethics in government, transparency, sunshine law (all tags)
You are not logged in.
In order to post a comment, you must be logged in. If you have a member account, please log in to comment.
If not, you can make an account just by filling out the form below. It's quick and free.
